Having been banned repeatedly from numerous discussion forums, one of the proprietors here is deeply interested in advancing the science of community standards development. After discussions with the foremost minds in forensics science and law enforcement, the following are the Official Community Standards for Bare-Knuckles Politics:

RULE NUMBER ONE: It is an INDISPUTABLE FACT that Al Gore won Florida and this is not open to dispute. Anything posted that attempts to support a contrary view will be deleted immediately or used by the moderators as a semantic football. Bare-Knuckles Politics is NOT a place that will be used to broadcast Republican lies.

Posts consisting of complaints about forum moderation that are placed in threads other than the one reserved specifically for that purpose will be deleted. In fact, unless the complaint is somehow valid, even posts of such nature placed in that thread will probably be deleted. Hey, we already TOLD you that moderation here will be capricious, so you have no potentially valid complaint. Repeated violations will result in moderation of the violator's subsequent posts. Tricks intended to elude or nullify moderation will result in the user's denial of all access.

This is a forum for the intelligent discussion of political candidates, issues, or any other related or unrelated but somehow connected (however loosely) matters that might come to mind. This is not a chat room, nor is it a forum where mindless behavior resembling "Free Republic" discussion forums will be tolerated. It is for REASONED ARGUMENT.

Ad hominem attacks (except against me) are an essential part of political discourse and are TOLERATED as long as they are directed at the political aspects of the participant, and not at the person behind the participation. You can call another participant any name you like using whatever language that appeals to you, but if you attack another poster because of his or her employment status, love life, genuine physical handicap or some other matter in his or her PERSONAL life that might hurt his or her actual feelings, you will be denied access forever. If you call another person a child or something to that effect, you may be subject to moderation if, in the sole judgment of the proprietor, that poster's submissions have not been of a childish nature. If, however, they HAVE been childish, then by all means do your worst.

Mindless flames are NOT permitted unless, in the sole judgment of the proprietor, they are witty.

Stupidity, in any of its many manifestations but most notably devotion to the absurd principles of the Republican party, will NOT BE TOLERATED. Posters exhibiting stupidity will generally be warned once, and banned for a second offense, although any warning is at the sole discretion of the moderator. While you can say "fuck" to your heart's content if the context is appropriate, you will be banned THE VERY FIRST TIME you say, "Bush won (or Gore lost), get over it," or anything of a similar nature. The quality of "stupidity" is in the SOLE, UNAPPEALABLE judgment of the proprietor and is the most serious transgression here.

Participants here are expected to think for themselves. Any repetition of "talking points" will be summarily deleted unless they are mentioned in an intelligent context. Repeated postings requiring such deletions will result in the participant's moderation.

Any mention of Bill Clinton's genitalia or any use to which he may or may not have put his genitalia is grounds for immediate banishment.

Anyone masquerading as a member of a political party or organization that he or she, in the sole estimation of the proprietors, does not in fact support will be banished at once and all of his or her previous posts will be deleted from all discussions. When you play "devil's advocate," be sure that it is clear that it is your your intent to do so. These forums are for you to present your HONEST opinions and your attempts to persuade others to your opinions, not for any disingenuous attempts you may make to manipulate the opinions of others.

If you are banished from these forums and attempt to return under a different name, it will be considered a computer break-in attempt and will be reported to the Secret Service. This is not public property.

No forum will be permitted to be advertised, and all links to any such forum will be deleted by the moderator, if the proprietors of that forum have ever, for any reason, ousted, suspended or deleted or modified any post written by the owner of this forum without the express approval and permission for such action from the owner of this forum. Forums that may not be linked from posts here include, but are not limited to, Salon's TableTalk, The American Prospect Alternate Forums, and Democrats Online. If you wish the participants here to read posts submitted to forums that are thus prohibited, you may exerpt the post or post it in its entirety, without attribution as to source. No links to blogs will be permitted on BKP. If you find something in some blog that is worthy of attention, you may cut and paste the contents here with attribution but WITHOUT A LINK OR ANY INDICATION OF THE BLOG'S URL.

These rules, and any others we might make up from time to time with or without notice, may be enforced, suspended, ignored, or added to as needed, at the proprietors' sole and capricious whim with or without any rhyme or reason that you or anyone you know might consider valid.

As the proprietors, we are not subject to any of our own rules. Like it or lump it.